Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction will apparently be a top-down action-RPG set among the stars.

Point yourself at AllOutOfGum.com and you will notice an image of "Kick-Ass Spearmint Bubblegum," as well as logos for Interceptor Entertainment and 3D Realms and the near-ubiquitous countdown to something. Except that unlike most such teaser countdowns, this time we know - or think we know - what's cooking.

Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction is "a top-down action role-playing game for PC and PlayStation 4," according to the Facebook page of the same name that's mentioned in the site source. Further details can be found in a snippet of "alien text" that was translated after the site reached a sufficient number of Facebook likes.

"Duke kicks ass across planets in an Unreal engine-powered galactic adventure to save the President from an apocalyptic alien threat," it states. "All new enemies [and] a neverbefore seen arsenal of devastating weaponry and series-first mechanics, including experience points and tech trees, will let Duke rip em a new one in a way he never has before."

The teaser site was taken offline a day or so ago and the alien text that described the game was no longer present when it came back, but the Facebook page is legitimate and the description of the game as a top-down ARPG matches up. And while it sounds like kind of a crazy idea at first blush, there's really not much to lose after the debacle of Duke Nukem Forever. It also bears remembering that Duke Nukem began life as a Commander Keen-style side-scrolling platformer and didn't make the transition to FPS until several years later.

Interceptor Entertainment put itself on the map last year with its remake of Rise of the Triad, while 3D Realms is best known these days as the company that couldn't make Duke Nukem Forever. Interceptor CEO Frederik Schreiber hinted that he had big ideas for the Duke last November, when he wrote on the Duke4.net forums that he's "tired of Pigcops, Turd Jokes and a Goofy Duke Nukem."

"I would love to see a Duke Nukem game, taken in a completely new direction. A way more serious and 'Badass' Duke, with an epic plot. Something that really brings back Duke as an Action Hero," he wrote. "That reminds me of how tired I am of strippers, babes etc. in Duke Nukem games, which only degrades Duke's intelligence even more (there is nothing wrong with Duke Liking strippers and babes, but it shouldn't be the main plot of a game). Give us a Duke game without strippers, a great sinister villain than can break Duke (Think Bane from DK:Rising), a slightly older, and way more badass/gritty Duke, and a galactic plotline that can be taken seriously, and I'm Sold!"

"I would love to see a Duke Nukem game, taken in a completely new direction. A way more serious and 'Badass' Duke, with an epic plot. Something that really brings back Duke as an Action Hero," he wrote. "That reminds me of how tired I am of strippers, babes etc. in Duke Nukem games, which only degrades Duke's intelligence even more (there is nothing wrong with Duke Liking strippers and babes, but it shouldn't be the main plot of a game). Give us a Duke game without strippers, a great sinister villain than can break Duke (Think Bane from DK:Rising), a slightly older, and way more badass/gritty Duke, and a galactic plotline that can be taken seriously, and I'm Sold!"

Oh, I 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

I like the idea, although I have some concerns with the guys talking about wanting the Duke to be 'taken seriously'. Yes it seems they got way to silly last game, but doing a complete 180 isn't going to be the answer either. I always thought Duke Nukem was modeled after an 80's style action hero, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, who always struck a nice middle ground between serious and silly.

Isn't it a bit early to be teasing the game? They've got at least another 9 years before a mediocre mess of a game hits shelves and pisses people off!

And given the 'quality' of the last game, I'm fairly sure I'll give this one a miss unless it astonishes audiences on release and brings about a new golden age of videogames. The jump to top-down RPG seems a bit odd too even if he started off scrolling in a sideways manner.

When I read he wants duke to be dark and gritty I just rolled my eyes. I'm no duke fan, I have played the games but I'm not hooked on the series, however the charm of duke is that he can laugh at himself and take the piss out of how silly the game is. We've got enough boring dark and gritty games, some more satire and humor would be welcomed actually.

Why exactly would anyone want to make a game in the Duke Nukem franchise? If it's popularity hadn't already dried up from a decade long absence the last game certainly killed whatever appeal it had left.

The last time I checked, Randy Pitchford (Gearbox Software) owned the rights (all of them) when he bought the franchise the year before DNF was released. Property rights are going to be an issue if they haven't worked those out yet. Not to mention that there's nothing on any official Gearbox page about it. It comes to a 'wait and see what happens' situation, which I think we can all deal with when it comes to Duke Nukem (who should be shelved by now...)

this at best we get rise of triad and shadow warrior at worst we get another game as bad or even worse than forever

Olas:Why exactly would anyone want to make a game in the Duke Nukem franchise? If it's popularity hadn't already dried up from a decade long absence the last game certainly killed whatever appeal it had left.

again with rise of triad and shadow warrior they're old games no one really knew about there's someone out there that wants a GOOD duke nukem game (I'd like one too)